Device for secret writing



Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES MARIE A. vAHJ EN, F GUTTENBER/G, NEW JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR SECRET WRITINGh' Application filed April 4, 1923. Serial No.629,927.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARIE A. VAHJEN, a citizen of the United States, anda'resident Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line44-.of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5, 1s a similar view taken on the line of Guttenberg, in the countyof Hudson 5 of Fig. 3, and

and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Device forSecret Writing, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in secretmarking devlces, and it pertains more particularly to a .means fornumbering various articles the numbering being 'done in the form of acut or other secret system. While the device has many uses, it isparticularly adapted for use in marking motor vehicles and various motorvehicle parts in addition to the regular serial numbers given thesevarious parts in order that mutilation of the regular serial number willnot destroy theidentity of the part numbered.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means whereby anowner, insurance company or other interested party may apply a secretidentification character to any part of an automobile or similararticle.

It is one of the primary objects of the invention to provide means bywhich a motor vehicle motor or other part may be marked with a pluralityof identifying characters having a predetermined relation to oneanother, said characters, however, not being readable except by onefamiliar with the code.

It is .a further object of the invention to construct the marking devicein such a manner that after the code marking has been made, the devicemay be used to read the code marking in order that the character thereofmay be readily understood.

It is a further object of the invention to construct the'device in sucha maner that it is positively held in position during the markingoperation, .and .is also capable of bein held in proper position duringthe reading operation.

With the above and other objects in view, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the devicein marking position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the secret writingr performed;

ig. 3 is a perspective view of the device in reading position;

\ Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 66,of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the device comprises a bar10 provided with a plurality of openings 11, which openlngs are arrangedin groups 12 of ten each.

Each of the openings 11 in each of the groups .12, is provided with adesignating character 13. .Leading from each of the openings 11 to oneedge of the devicelO, is

a groove or indicating line 14, the purpose of which will be hereinafterdescribed.

One end of the bar 10, preferably the left hand end, is provided with apin 15, or the like, which passes preferably through the thickness ofthe bar. Adjacent this pin 15, the bar 10 is provided on its forwardedge with a pin 16, the purpose of which will be hereinafter morespecifically described.

The device is used in the following manner:

When it is desired to mark an article, such as designated by thereference letter A in the drawings, a recess or the like, such as shownat 20, is first made in the part to be marked. After this recess hasbeen made, the pin 15 heretofore described is inserted into this recessand the bar 10 lies flat upon the article to be marked, as shown inFig. 1. After the barhas been so positioned, a drill or other marking isinserted through one of the openings 11 in one or more of the groups 12,and a mark in the article A to be marked is made directly beneath suchopening. After the several marks have been made, the device is removedand the marked article will have the appearance shown in Fig. 2.

The marks made in the marked article are shownat 21, and such marks havea special relation to one another. \Vhcn it is desired to read thesemarks, the bar 10 is turned up on edge, as shown in Fig. 5, with its pin16 in the recess 20, and'the marks 21 will then appear opposite thedesignating characters of the o enings through which the marks were mae. For example, with reference to Fig. 3, it will be noted that theseveral marks 21 appear opposite the number in the various groups, asfollows: Read ing from left to r1 ht, the first mark 21 is 5 the secondis the third is 2, the

fourth is l. the fifth is 1, and the sixth is 2, covering the number572,412.

From the foregoing, it is apparent'that the present invention providesan unlimited combination of numbers, by means of which articles may beaccurately marked. Furthermore, by marking an article in the abovedescribed manner. it is practically impossible to destroy the markingunless the entire sur- -face marked were ground to an extent which wouldeliminate the marks 21.

\Vhat is claimed is:

A secret writing device comprising a bar iaving a plurality of openingsarranged in curves, a designating character associated with each of saidopenings, an index line loading from each of said openings to one edgeof the bar, a pin carried by one end l the bar and adapted to bereceived within a recess in the article to be marked for maintaining thebar in position to receive a marking instrument through any one of theopenings therethrough to make an identifying mark upon said article tobe marked, and a second pin right-angularlv disposed with respect to thefirst pin and adapted to be received in the same opening in lieu of thefirst-mentioned pin to position the bar in such a, manner that the indexlines of the openings through which the marks were made will coincidewith the said marks to facilitate the reading thereof.

MARIE A. VAHJEN.

